In mid-May, Senator Tester seemed to be in favor of banning TikTok in Montana, as per various reports. However, his comments in an interview published on the same day TikTok filed a lawsuit against Montana on First Amendment grounds seemed to contradict his earlier stance. Before these comments, Tester's campaign had received a mere $500 from a TikTok lobbyist. However, following his change of heart, the campaign received an additional $5,250 in donations, as per Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
On May 18, Tester argued that TikTok, owned by a Chinese company, warranted increased scrutiny. He asserted that Montana had the right to ban the app and that the company should be held accountable for any potential "treasonous" actions, as reported by the Havre Daily News. He also expressed support for an outright TikTok ban in a late March interview with The Washington Post.
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However, in a May 22 interview with KGVO, Tester suggested that Montana may have overstepped by imposing such a ban. "So I'm not really big on banning anything. Quite honestly, ban it from government phones. I've got no problem with that," said Tester. "But as far as banning it from the general public, I've got some issues with that."
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David Thomas of Mehlman Consulting, a lobbyist for TikTok in 2023, donated $500 to Tester's reelection campaign in mid-April, according to FEC records. Less than two weeks after Tester's change of stance on the app's ban, Ankit Desai of And Partners LLC, another TikTok lobbyist in 2023, donated $1,000 to the senator's campaign. Subsequently, Tester's campaign received $1,500 from Thomas in mid-September, along with donations from several other TikTok lobbyists.
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Other contributors from Mehlman Consulting who lobbied for TikTok in 2023 and donated to Tester's campaign include Paul Thornell, Alexander Perkins, Nichole Distefano, and Zachary Mallove. Their donations came after Tester's change of stance on Montana's ban, according to FEC records.
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Tester's reelection campaign amassed approximately $5 million during the third fundraising quarter, ending with $13 million cash on hand, as per his FEC filings.
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been accused of allowing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to access user information. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has been investigating the potential national security threat posed by TikTok via its parent company ByteDance. Lawmakers from both parties have urged the Biden administration to further scrutinize the app due to concerns over data collection, with many calling for an outright ban.
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In the 2024 general election, Tester could potentially face Republican Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman, or GOP Representative Matt Rosendale, who is considering a bid. A poll by Emerson College released on October 17 suggested Tester would beat Sheehy by 4 points. However, a mid-August poll by J.L. Partners found Tester trailing both Republicans by several points.
The Cook Political Report classifies Tester's seat, which he has held since 2007, as "Lean D" for 2024, along with Senate races in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
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